Rain Douses Plans To Begin The Season At Carbon Ski Areas

December 05, 1987|The Morning Call

A midweek rainstorm washed away plans for opening the skiing season at three Carbon County ski resorts.

Big Boulder and Jack Frost, located in the northern section of the county and Little Gap Ski area, near Palmerton, were to open today, but with last Wednesday's heavy rain a lot of man-made snow was lost at all three resorts.

Since the rain storm, night temperatures have been right for making snow, and all three areas plan to open for the season Wednesday.

"Our staff is ready to go," said Gerald J. Ferdinand, marketing director at Little Gap, "as long as the weather patterns stay as they are, I am sure there will be skiing at Little Gap by Wednesday."

Little Gap will be open 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. At Big Boulder, the season will start with reduced hours. Before Christmas the slopes will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. After the holidays they will go into their night skiing season.

At Jack Frost, where there is no night skiing, the hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kenneth F. Knize, general manager at Big Boulder said, "We will have two slopes and two chair lifts operating at both Big Boulder and Jack Frost on Wednesday. At this time it is hard to tell, but there is a good chance a third trail will be opened at Jack Frost.

"We have enough snow to ski on right now and could open today (Saturday), but, I am concerned that we would be overcrowded and would have to turn people away - that is something we don't want to do. But Wednesday we will be ready for the general public."